Various mechanical and/or electrical systems, such as braking systems (and in particular, aircraft braking systems), typically generate significant heat. For example, significant heat is generated when the kinetic energy of a vehicle is converted to thermal energy. To help compensate for the increased temperatures, individual brake components (e.g., brake pads, rotors, and the like) may be configured to tolerate high temperatures.
For example, an aircraft brake pad friction component may absorb a significant amount of heat during braking (e.g., resulting in a brake pad friction component temperature exceeding 1000 degrees Fahrenheit), while other components in the vicinity of the brakes, such as an aluminum wheel, may be less heat tolerant. Accordingly, brake pad friction components gradually dissipate heat while the aircraft is parked on the ground. The ability to expeditiously cool the brake pad friction components may influence how quickly the aircraft is allowed to “turn around” and complete another takeoff/landing cycle. In this regard, cooling a brake pad friction component or other structural components more rapidly may enable higher utilization of an aircraft or other vehicle.
Typical conventional attempts to address such heat concerns and decrease cooling time involve bringing a cooling medium (e.g., air driven by electric fans) to the source of heat in order to transfer the heat away. However, bringing the cooling medium to the heat source is often not practical and/or may be expensive.
Accordingly, improved thermal management techniques and components may reduce and/or eliminate the need for bulky, heavy, and/or complicated additional safety and/or cooling systems. Moreover, a need exists to prevent heat generated by a braking system from reaching other heat-sensitive components.